Coptic Christian families flee Sinai due to ISIS attacks and threats

Due to the recent ISIS threats against the Egyptian Coptic minority, dozens of Coptic Christian families have fled their homes in the capital city of Egypt’s North Sinai Governorate. Ismailia’s Evangelical Church is helping most of the families.

In the past 48 hours, dozens of Coptic Christian families have left their homes in Arish, a city in the northern part of the Sinai Peninsula. Most of them fled to the Evangelical Church in Ismailia. According to Reuters, more than 200 students studying in Arish have also fled the city.

In the past month, seven members of the Coptic community in Arish have been murdered in ISIS attacks targeting Christians. In addition to these murders, ISIS has been threatening the local Christian community with death threats. Today (Sunday), the ISIS Sinai branch released an online video in which the terrorist group threatened Egypt’s entire Coptic minority, stating that the worst has yet to come.

During a meeting today with senior level security officials, Egyptian Interior Minister Magdy Abdel-Ghaffar said that he did not instruct the Christian families to leave the city and that Egypt will continue to protect its citizens throughout the country.

Last week, the ISIS branch in the Sinai Peninsula fired two rockets toward Israel. Two days later, the terrorist group released a picture of one of its members preparing the rockets before the launch. In another picture, the two rockets are seen in the air heading toward Israel.